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guide:weapon_limitations

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Armament Limitations

:!: This rules addendum is currently not approved for implementation. :!:

The following is an addendum that, if approved, would be an additional requirement of the Submission Rules.

These rules govern the quantity and quality of firepower available to the numerous mecha, small craft, starships, vehicles, and so forth within the Star Army setting.

Disclaimer

These rules do not address the following topics, due to the fact that we believe it is the job of the submission reviewers to determine whether or not a submission is overpowered, not the job of yet more rules whose presence would only make it even more difficult for content creators to contribute to the setting.

  • Area of Effect
  • Ammunition Capacity1)
  • Missile Velocity
  • Missile Sizes
  • Muzzle Velocity

How much weaponry?

Usually, for infantrymen and power armor, this is self-explanatory… or at least easily ruled on. No one expects an infantryman or a power armor to dual-wield bazookas while carrying four spares on their back. For mecha and starships, however, it becomes more nebulous. The rule we offer is: a maximum of 8 same-tier weapons as the unit carrying them.

  • Getting a higher-tier weapon costs 2 weapons of the tier below.
  • Getting a lower-tier weapon costs 1/2 of a weapon from the tier above.

For weapons such as missiles/rockets/torpedos/etc., there's actually two rules we offer:

  • The first applies to missile systems with a single “launch tube” and a loading system for internal ammo storage, similar to the torpedo tubes found on modern-day submarines: each “launch tube” counts as a single weapon system and is calculated just like the above. Reloads do not count towards the maximum number of weapons mentioned above.
  • The second applies to missile systems with multiple single-shot “launch tubes,” like the modern-day VLS (vertical launch systems) found on guided missile destroyers or the hardpoint-mounted missile racks and rocket pods found on modern-day military aircraft: an equal-tier weapon is worth 8 single-shot uses at that same tier. Reloads do count towards the maximum number of weapons mentioned above, unless they (the reloads) take five or more minutes to be “loaded.”

Keep in mind that it doesn't matter whether you call the “missile” a torpedo, missile, rocket, rocket-propelled grenade, or something else entirely. What ultimately matters is its tier - nothing more, nothing less.

Here are a few final things to keep in mind:

  • For weapon systems that use ammunition with different tiers: the ammunition with the highest tier determines the overall tier of the weapon system.
  • For weapon systems located internally in and/or externally mounted on shields: these weapon systems count towards the maximum of 8 same-tier weapons and are subject to the rules listed above.
  • For missile systems that fire “host” missiles containing submunitions, such as MIRVs (Multiple Independently-Targetable Re-Entry Vehicles): these are considered to be missile systems with multiple single-shot “launch tubes” and are counted as such, regardless of how the “host” missile“ is launched.

Tier Conversion Tables

The following tables are included for usage as a quick reference when creating and/or reviewing new or pre-existing setting elements.

Usage

Note: “Host platform” refers to the mecha/small craft/starship/vehicle/etc. a weapon system is mounted on.

  • Tier Difference: The numerical difference between the tier of a weapon system and the tier of its “host platform”.
  • Capacity Utilized: Specifies how much a single weapon system (of a certain Tier Difference) counts towards its “host platform's” maximum weapon capacity. This applies to gun-based weapon systems missile systems with a single “launch tube” and a loading system for internal ammo storage, similar to the torpedo tubes found on modern-day submarines.
  • Missiles Available: Specifies how many missiles (of a certain Tier Difference) are equivalent to 1/8 of a “host platform's” maximum weapon capacity. This applies to missile systems with multiple single-shot “launch tubes,” like the modern-day VLS (vertical launch systems) found on guided missile destroyers or the hardpoint-mounted missile racks and rocket pods found on modern-day military aircraft.


<WRAP center>

Maximum Weapon Capacity = 8 Same-Tier Weapons
1 Same-Tier Weapon = 8 Same-Tier Single-Shot Missiles

</WRAP>


<WRAP group> <WRAP half column>

Tier Difference Capacity Utilized
+3 8
+2 4
+1 2
0 1
-1 1/2
-2 1/4
-3 1/8
-4 1/16
-5 1/32
-6 1/64
-7 1/128
-8 1/256
-9 1/512
-10 1/1,024
-11 1/2,048
-12 1/4,096
-13 1/8,192
-14 1/16,384

</WRAP> <WRAP half column>

Tier Difference Missiles Available
+3 1
+2 2
+1 4
0 8
-1 16
-2 32
-3 64
-4 128
-5 256
-6 512
-7 1,024
-8 2,048
-9 4,096
-10 8,192
-11 16,384
-12 32,768
-13 65,536
-14 131,072

</WRAP> </WRAP>

Loadout Examples

The following sections are meant to serve as examples of how the system is meant to be used.

Loadout Example: Giant Robot Dinosaur

Let's say that I'm an evil Mishhuvurthyar villain recently freed from imprisonment on Luna Bianca whose decided to create an 80-meter-tall Giant Robot Dinosaur so that I can wreak chaos, havoc, destruction, and despair upon the unsuspecting residents of Kyoto City.

Given that 80-meter-tall units fit under the “Light Starship” (Tier 10) category according to this chart, I can have:

  • 8 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons

So, if I want to have two Laser Eyes of Destruction™, I'd convert those 8 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons into…

  • 4 Tier 11 (Medium Anti-Starship) weapons

…and then convert those four weapons into:

  • 2 Tier 12 (Heavy Anti-Starship) weapons

So, in the case of my giant robot dinosaur with laser eyes, it can kill with a glare.

But wait, I wanted it to breathe fire too! And I want my fire breath to cause more damage than my laser eyes. Back to the drawing board: I divide 1 of those Tier 12 (Heavy Anti-Starship) weapons back into 2 Tier 11 (Medium Anti-Starship) weapons. Those two will actually be my laser eyes. The bigger one is my fire breath. So, now, my loadout looks like:

  • 1 Tier 12 (Heavy Anti-Starship) Plasma Flamethrower of Doom™
  • 2 Tier 11 (Medium Anti-Starship) Laser Eyes of Destruction™

And there we go. My Godzilla impersonator is armed and ready to smash, stomp, burn, rip, and tear Kyoto City into rubble!

Loadout Example: Fighter Jet

Let's say that I'm the general responsible for defending Kyoto City against the 80-meter-tall Giant Robot Dinosaur mentioned above and that I'm trying to figure out what kinds of missiles should be loaded onto the jets.

I know from the engineers that each fighter jets measure 14 meters by 9 meters by 2 meters, which (according to some chart they keep referring to) makes them a ”Tier 7 Light Mecha.“ They've also informed me each fighter jet can be equipped with…

  • 8 Tier 7 (Light Anti-Mecha) weapons

…and that 4 of those 8 weapons are already “taken up” by the two autocannons mounted on each side of the forward fuselage, meaning that each fighter jet has…

  • 4 Tier 7 (Light Anti-Mecha) weapons

…already equipped, and…

  • 4 Tier 7 (Light Anti-Mecha) weapons

…available for missiles. Simple observation tells me that each fighter jet has two under-wing hardpoints per wing for a total of four, which means that each hardpoint can carry a single “weapon system's” worth of missiles (or, if you ask the engineers, 1/8 of the fighter's total weapon capacity or 8 same-tier missiles). It also means that each of the four hardpoints could potentially carry one of the following payload options:

  • 1 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) missile
  • 2 Tier 9 (Heavy Anti-Mecha) missiles
  • 4 Tier 8 (Medium Anti-Mecha) missiles
  • 8 Tier 7 (Light Anti-Mecha) missiles
  • 16 Tier 6 (Heavy Anti-Armor) missiles
  • 32 Tier 5 (Medium Anti-Armor) missiles
  • 64 Tier 4 (Light Anti-Armor) missiles
  • 128 Tier 3 (Heavy Anti-Personnel) missiles
  • 256 Tier 2 (Medium Anti-Personnel) missiles
  • 512 Tier 1 (Light Anti-Personnel) missiles

Now, in an ideal universe without any of those pesky politicians/engineers/eggheads/budget cuts/weapon reduction treaties, this means that I could load each fighter jet with 4 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) missiles and bury that robotic lizard freak in a nuclear avalanche of pure radioactive awesomeness.

Problem is, this isn't an ideal universe; because the civilians spent too much time chewing their thumbs and debating over what to do, I unfortunately, have no choice but to send out the fighter jets with their current anti-fighter loadout of…

  • 4 Tier 7 (Light Anti-Mecha) weapons
  • 64 Tier 6 (Heavy Anti-Armor) missiles

…(which, for you tech-obsessed eggheads out there, means there is sixteen Tier 6 missiles equipped per hardpoint) and pray to the Goddess that it's enough.

Loadout Example: Giant Mecha

Let's say I'm the long-dead Yamataian who 10,000 years ago designed the gigantic 95-meter-tall mecha that's conveniently about to appear out of nowhere and defeat the Giant Robot Dinosaur on the outskirts of Kyoto City.

At 95 meters tall, the aforementioned Giant Mecha fits squarely in the “Light Starship” (Tier 10) category according to this millenia-old chart, which means I have enough room for:

  • 8 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons

To start, I decided to take 2 of those 8 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons and divide them into…

  • 1 Tier 11 (Medium Anti-Starship) weapon

…for the extendable Zesuaium sword built into the Giant Mecha's right forearm. Next, I took 2 of the remaining 6 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons and converted them into…

  • 4 Tier 9 (Heavy Anti-Mecha) weapons

…then divided those four weapons into…

  • 8 Tier 8 (Medium Anti-Mecha) weapons

…and divided those eight weapons into…

  • 16 Tier 7 (Light Anti-Mecha) weapons

…for the retractable point-defense turrets located at various points on the Giant Mecha's body, arms, and legs. After that, the rest is pretty simple: Of the remaining 4 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons leftover…

  • 1 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapon

…is utilized for the Aether Beam Cannon located in each of the Giant Mecha's arms (which adds up to a total of 2 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons), while the single-tube missile launchers located on each shoulder together equal…

  • 2 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons

…which thereby brings the Giant Mecha right up to the maximum limit of 8 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) weapons. Granted, each missile launcher can only fire a single missile every 10 seconds - but when up against opponents the size of buildings (or larger!), some pretty big missiles are required; besides, it looks so much cooler.

With the weapons taken care of, all that remained was to add a shield to the Giant Mecha's left forearm. Seeing as how I wasn't able to fit any more weaponry onto the Giant Mecha, I chose to leave the shield devoid of weaponry; a quick glance here tells me that since the Giant Mecha is considered to be a Tier 10 (Light Starship), the aforementioned shield should be classified as a Tier 11 (Medium Starship) - and with its final loadout of…

  • 1 Tier 11 (Medium Anti-Starship) Zesuaium Sword
  • 2 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) Aether Beam Cannons
  • 2 Tier 10 (Light Anti-Starship) Missile Launchers
  • 16 Tier 7 (Light Anti-Mecha) Point-Defense Turrets

…plus a…

  • 1 Tier 11 (Medium Anti-Starship) Shield

…the Giant Mecha is ready to go save the day!

Damage Rating (Version 3) Tier Chart

The following table was copied directly from the DRv3 Quick Reference article (apart from a few minor formatting changes) and is also included for reference purposes.

<WRAP center>

Tier Purpose Defensive Example Offensive Example
Personnel
1 Light Anti-Personnel Flak jacket, riot armor Smallarms such as pistols
2 Medium Anti-Personnel Ballistic Vest, bodyarmor GP-1 Assault Rifle, Nekovalkyrja Service Pistol (standard)
3 Heavy Anti-Personnel Hardsuits NSP (Heavy), LASR, SLAG grenades
Power Armor
4 Light Anti-Armor M2 Mindy IV, M6 Daisy II Aether Saber-Rifle (Rapid-Fire), Atmospheric/Space Plasma Rifle
5 Medium Anti-Armor Aether Saber-Rifle (Beam), Type 32 Dual-Gun Turret
6 Heavy Anti-Armor Hostile, Ripper Aether Saber-Rifle (Saber), Offensive Mini-missile
Mecha
7 Light Anti-Mecha M9 TASHA, Aggressor, small shuttlepods 50mm Gauss Bazooka, Type 31 Quad-Gun Turret
8 Medium Anti-Mecha V9 Nodachi, Ravager, most shuttlecraft Kawarime/Nodachi Turbo-Aether cannon
9 Heavy Anti-Mecha Larger shuttles Type 31 Dual-Cannon Turret
Starship
10 Light Anti-Starship Corvettes, Yui-7 Scout, Chiaki Escort Chiaki Mass Driver Gun (Solid round)
11 Medium Anti-Starship Destroyers, Plumeria Gunship Chiaki Mass Driver Gun (Antimatter round), Plumeria Positron Railgun
12 Heavy Anti-Starship Cruisers, Ookami Light Cruiser Yui-type Aether Array, Sharie Aether Turret, Z1 Torpedoes
13 Light Anti-Capital Ship Super Eikan Heavy Cruiser Plumeria-type dual-bladed Aether Array, Eikan Positron Cannon
14 Medium Anti-Capital Ship Sharie Battleship Eikan-type Aether Array, AS-7 Torpedoes
15 Heavy Anti-Capital Ship 3km+ Structures, Dreadnoughts Sharie-type Dual-Pronged Aether Array

</WRAP>

OOC Notes

frostjaeger created this article on 2017/04/22 12:28.

1)
For missile systems with a single launch tube and gun-based weapon systems.

Quality:
guide/weapon_limitations.1493733225.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/12/20 15:53 (external edit)